LAUGHLIN, Nev. (FOX5) — A few steps from the clatter of slot machines at Riverside Resort Hotel & Casino, a Catholic congregation gathers for Sunday Mass — not in a chapel, but in a casino showroom.
The unusual setup has been part of Laughlin for decades, and it’s the subject of a new FOX5 story from reporter Evan Leake and chief photographer Jason Westerhaus, who recently revisited the Riverside “church in a casino” after first covering it about 15 years ago.
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A church just upstairs from the casino floor
Leake said the experience is exactly as surprising as it sounds.
To attend Mass, visitors walk through the casino floor, head up an elevator, and arrive at a showroom that can hold hundreds — and as many as 1,000 people at full capacity, according to the team.
“Effectively like 50 feet away from all the slots, all the games… it’s ‘Lord, hear our prayer,’” Leake said during a FOX5 Amplified conversation about the reporting process.
How the story came back — and why it still matters
Westerhaus originally reported on the Riverside church years ago, when the idea of hosting services inside casinos was a topic of debate in Southern Nevada.
He recalled that other religious groups had faced pushback trying to meet in casino-owned venues, while Riverside’s arrangement remained in place because the property is older and the church setup was already established.
That history resurfaced in a recent newsroom editorial meeting while staff discussed a different casino development. The conversation sparked a memory: Westerhaus had archived the original story.
They pulled it up during the meeting — and discovered the priest featured back then was still leading services today.
“That even piqued it even more,” Westerhaus said. “Oh, he’s still there. Let’s go back and revisit, talk to him, see what’s different.”
A showroom that transforms from entertainment to worship
Because the service is held in a performance showroom, the space is designed to shift quickly between weekend entertainment and Sunday worship.
Westerhaus said the transformation is easier now than it was during his first story — with changes to the layout and equipment that reduce the amount of setup needed.
Back then, he filmed a time-lapse of tables being cleared and chairs being moved in for Mass. Today, he said the room has added risers in the back and requires fewer adjustments.
And the contrast remains part of the story: on some nights the same showroom advertises cover bands and tribute shows — and on Sunday morning it becomes a place of prayer.
Father Charlie: the constant presence
Both Leake and Westerhaus said Father Charlie (identified in the interview as Father Charlie Urnick/“Ernie”) remains central to why the congregation keeps coming.
Leake described the Mass as a “standard Catholic Mass,” but said Father Charlie’s energy and style help create a welcoming atmosphere — especially for visitors who might not attend regularly.
Several parishioners told the team they return because the experience feels engaging and encouraging.
From quick turns to time to craft
Leake and Westerhaus said the Riverside piece was also a rare chance to slow down in a daily news environment.
Instead of a same-day deadline, the team spent a full Sunday gathering material and then took additional time to write and edit the story.
“It’s been nice,” Leake said. “It doesn’t happen often… so much of it is a daily turn and burn.”
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